Paper bag distributor



July 12, 1938. e. A. TORGESON El AL 2,123,592

PAPER BAG msmmu'ron Filed Marqh 25, 1937 2- Sheets-Sheet 1 i B J! 75 L" 1 3 a; 3

Q Q 2 70 2 6 22 1 7 austcuzfl brgeson Wc/lOr E- Rogers July 12, 1938.

G. A. TORGESON El AL PAPER BAG DISTRIBUTOR Filed March 23, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gustau 7E)? I 2 Victor- E. Rogers.

Their ado a n Patented July 12, 1938 PATENT OFFICE PAPER- BAG DISTRIBUTOR Gustav A. Torgeson and Victor E. Rogers, Madison, Wis.

Application March 23, 1937, Serial No. 132,626

3 Claims.

This invention relates to paper bag distributors and among other objects aims to provide a holder for paper bags which is particularly useful in stores or wherever paper bags are constantly used to hold articles and commodities. The present invention increases the speed of handling paper bags, obviates waste and adds to the efiiciency of the sales person as it makes possible for a single bag to be picked up with the use of only one hand. Furthermore the device permits bags to be very rapidly dispensed and is so constructed as to make it impossible for the user to pull out more than one bag of any one kind at a time. The

V invention has other objects which will be clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a'perspective view showing the complete device.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detailed vertical section.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the cradles which is used to hold down the bags.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown a paper bag distributor comprising a base I0 which may be a flat plate or board well adapted to be set on top of a store counter or in any other convenient location. On the base I0 side plates I I are fixed, for example by screws I2. The side plates I I may be provided with openings Ila, as shown, and have vertical slots I3, each plate II being so located on opposite sides of the base II] that the slots I3 are parallel and are the same distance from the front and rear edges of the base I0.

The base I0 provides a convenient support for a package of paper bags B which are held on the base by means of a floating cradle I4, best shown in Fig. 5.

The floating cradle I 4' comprises a generally rectangular structure including a weight I5, a pair of parallel side arms I6 and a crossbar I! which has the function of holding the forward edges of the bags B in proper position, as will be more fully explained. The weight I5 is preferably the heaviest part of the floating cradle I4 so that the bags B are depressed or compacted, as shown in Fig. 3, by the mass of the weight l5. The side arms I6 not only connect the weight I5 with the crossbar H, but also extend beyond the weight I5 in the opposite direction, as shown, for the purpose of supporting pins I8 which are aligned with each other and which are adapted to project through the vertical slots I3. Thus the cradle is guided by the pair of slots I3 and may move upwardly and downwardly or may be swung about the axis of the pins I8 if the forward end of the cradle is lifted as, for instance, when it is disturbed to insert or remove a package of paper bags B.

The distance between the weight I5 and the crossbar I1 is such as to permit the bottoms of the bags B to rise naturally by the reaction of v the weight I5 and the elasticity of the package of bags. This will be best understood by referring to Figs. 1 and 3. As there shown, the bottom of the topmost bag tends to separate itself from the remainder of the bags and thus affords a naturally protruding member which may be easily grasped by the fingers of the person using the device. As each bag is removed from the distributor the next lower bag is exposed and it in turn is somewhat distorted by the weight I5 and by the crossbar I! so as to lift or bend upwardly a portion of its bottom, thereby to provide another flap which is easily grasped by the user. 7

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it is seen that the crossbar I7 is generally L-shaped, consisting of a flat, horizontal upper member or flange I'Ia directly engaging the top of the packet of bags at the outer end of the packet, and a slightly curved, generally vertical member Ilb, the curvature of the member I'lb' being such as to provide a pocket I9 on the inside. The depth of the pocket is greatest at the top, directly beneath the flange Ila. Thus when a bag is pulled from a distributor, the weight I5 keeps the package of bags from slipping back, the crossbar I 7 stops any movement of the bag immediately beneath and holds it in the pocket I9 so that the top bag may always be pulled from the distributor without disturbing the positions of the remaining bags. The provision of pocket I9 has been found very useful in the operation of the device.

The parts so far described will provide a useful holder and distributor for a single size of paper bags. Usually in stores it is preferable to provide a holder for several different sizes of bags and hence in the present device the holder and distributor already described is substantially duplicated in a smaller device located on top of the one already described. A smaller base 20 is secured to the tops of the side plates II in any convenient way, as by screws 2|, and a smaller floating cradle 22 is preferably used to hold the smaller bags B. Otherwise the construction is exactly the same and hence similar reference numerals are used on the upper distributor.

On top of the smaller upper distributor a third base 23 may be mounted, as by screws 24, and on top of the base 23 paper bag distributors of a different type may be mounted, as shown. For handling very small paper bags one or more vertical holders 25 may be secured on the upper base 23, as by screws 26. The holders 25 may have hinged closures 21 to facilitate inserting a supply of paper bags B mally pressed forwardly againstthe inside o f' the closure 21 by a coil spring 28 and a follower plate 29. The hinged closure 21 has a, plate 30 which preferably extends for at least half the height of the holder or box 25 and has a lower plate 3! which is preferably quite narrow so that a space is provided between theupper edge of the lower plate 3i and the lower edge of the upper plate 30. The bags B project through said space and their bottoms provide flaps due to the reaction of the springs 28 and the lower plates 3| on the bags B As each bag is removed the adjacent bag will be pushed forwardly by the follower plate 29 and its bottom will bulge outwardly to provide a convenient flap, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This action is the same as that of the weights l5 and crossbars I! of the yokes l4 previously described.

The described distributor provides an inexpensive easily manufactured holder for at least four sizes of paper bags which may be mounted almost anywhere in a store to facilitate dispensing of The paper bags B are norpaper bags rapidly and with a minimum of efiort to the sales person.

Obviously the present invention may be embodied in several forms neither described nor shown.

Having described an embodiment of the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a substantially horizontal, .flat support on which a packet of paper bags may be laid, vertical guides mounted on said support; and a massive yoke having means at one end engaging said vertical guides and having a central opening through which the bag bottoms may project and through which the bags may be withdrawn one at a time; said yoke having at its other end a crossbar with an upper, horizontal member'for engaging the top of the packet at the outer end thereof.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said crossbar is generally L-shaped with a'downwardly extending flange at right angles to the 1 upper, horizontal member to engage the edges of the upper bags of the packet.

3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said crossbar is provided with a pocket on the inside which receives the bag beneath the topmost bag when the first mentioned bag is moved by frictional contact with the topmost bag as it is removed; said pocket being of greatest depth at the top, directly under the upper, horizontal member.

GUSTAV A. TORGESON. VICTOR E. ROGERS. 

